Ten Years Ago... (2020)
The jungle breathed.
Birds chirped overhead.
Insects buzzed beneath dense foliage.
Monkeys chattered through the towering canopy.
A distant bird let out a sharp squawk.
Then—
A low, deep rumble rolled through the forest.
The monkeys fell silent.
Leaves rustled.
The rumbling grew louder.
One monkey screeched and fled into the trees.
Moments later, a helicopter burst above the canopy.
Its matte-black fuselage bore a glowing cyan "V" on its side.
Suspended beneath it hung a reinforced transport canister.
Inside—
Several fossil specimens rested within cryogenic foam.
The helicopter banked toward Pentagram City's skyline.
⸻
V TOWER
The aircraft settled onto a rooftop landing pad.
Its rotors slowly wound down.
The cargo was immediately surrounded by security personnel.
The cabin door slid open.
Vox stepped onto the platform, straightening his coat.
His glowing screen displayed a satisfied grin.
He glanced once toward the fossil container.
"...Let's see if extinct is really permanent."
Without another word, he walked inside.
⸻
LEVEL -87
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
Miles beneath V Tower...
An enormous laboratory stretched into darkness.
Hundreds of scientists moved between glowing monitors and suspended incubation tanks.
Machines hummed endlessly.
Radio chatter echoed through the facility.
The air smelled faintly of disinfectant...
...and ozone.
Busy conversations overlapped one another.
⸻
(radio static crackles)
SCIENTIST 1:
How many times are we going to keep doing this?
SCIENTIST 2:
We keep running it until the hybrid holds.
ANNOUNCER (P.A.):
We are currently operating under Security Level Five.
SCIENTIST 1:
The deregs took. No sign of rejection.
SCIENTIST 3:
There's still mutations in Genome Seven.
SCIENTIST 7:
...Thank you.
ANNOUNCER (P.A.):
All genetic waste must be transported to the cremation chamber before 5:00 P.M.
A massive cylindrical tank stood near the center of the room.
Floating inside...
Was a grotesque creature.
